Looking for a good read? Here is a recommendation. I have an unusual approach to reviewing books. I review books I feel merit a review. Each review is an opportunity to recommend a book. If I do not think a book is worth reading, I find another book to review. You do not have to agree with everything every author has written (I do not), but the fiction I review is entertaining (and often thought-provoking) and the non-fiction contain ideas worth reading.
Book Review
Rediscovering Family
Reviewed by Mark Lardas
May 10, 2026
“Miss Sally’s Son: A Novel,” by Thomas Curry, Ignatius Press, February 2026, 321 pages, $17.95 (Paperback), $17.95 (E-book)
Jack Benton is a top contract negotiator for Kriesen Technology, a high-tech company. Assigned to Kriesen’s Berlin office, he gets a phone call from home. His mother, Sally Benton, age 51, has died, suddenly, unexpectedly.
“Miss Sally’s Son,” a novel by Thomas Curry, opens with Jack returning home to settle his mother’s affairs. A contract negotiation with the Saudis is at a critical point, so turns then over to an assistant to go to his Williamsburg home where his mother, Sally Benton, lived and own a café.
He learns his mother shared her home with her café’s manager, Carolyn, Carolyn’s daughter Mony, a law student at William and Mary, and Mony’s daughter, Sae. They are black. He discovers his mother was a beloved figure in Williamsburg, known for her faith, and charitable activities. (Miss Sally hired Carolyn after Carolyn was widowed and needed a job.)
Jack’s mother was a single mother, an orphan with no relatives. Jack’s father disappeared before Jack’s birth. Jack expected his mother’s finances to be a mess, forcing Jack to pay off the mortgage on the house and close an unprofitable, money-losing café, especially since she refused all offers of money from Jack.
Instead, he learns she owned her home and the building which houses the café, with no debt. The café is profitable, and his mother had significant savings even after paying for Jack’s college education, including his Harvard law degree.
His mother’s papers reveal the identity of Jack’s father, a nationally-known Catholic figure, who died earlier. At work, his assistant, hoping to advance herself, disregards Jack’s directions while Jack is on leave. This causes a crisis. This, plus unravelling the relationships revealed about his parents, forces Jack to reevaluate his priorities. He can learn from his parents’ mistakes or repeat them.
“Miss Sally’s Son” is a sweet book, a tale of discovery and redemption. Jack is a good man, but one who is incomplete. He has fallen away from his faith, and neglected his family in pursuit of fortune, a fortune he discovers he does not need. His mother’s death leads Jack into new relationships, including some leading to love.
If you believe religion is the opiate of the people, this book is not for you. Those for whom faith is an important part of life, even for those willing to consider it might be, will find this book thought-provoking and revealing..
Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City. His website is marklardas.com.
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Sallys-Son-Thomas-Curry/dp/B0GH367KLT/